The first settlement in what is now South East Queensland was as a penal colony at Redcliffe. The Gold Coast region remained largely uninhabited by Europeans until 1823 when explorer John Oxley landed at Mermaid Beach. The hinterland's red cedar supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century. Later in 1875, Southport was surveyed and established and grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for upper class Brisbane residents.

Lieutenant James Cook became the first European to note the region when he sailed along the coast on 16 May 1770 in the HM Bark Endeavour. Captain Matthew Flinders, an explorer charting the continent north from the colony of New South Wales, sailed past in 1802. Escaped convicts from the Moreton Bay penal settlement hid in the region. The region remained largely uninhabited by Europeans until 1823 when explorer John Oxley landed at Mermaid Beach, which was named after seeing a cutter named Mermaid. The hinterland's red cedar supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century. The western suburb of Nerang was surveyed and established as a base for the industry. Later in 1875, Southport was surveyed and established and quickly grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for the upper class Brisbane residents.

Gold Coast was originally known as the South Coast (because it was south of Brisbane). However, inflated prices for real estate and other goods and services lead to the nickname of "Gold Coast" from 1950.[4][5][6][7][8] South Coast locals initially considered the name "Gold Coast" derogatory.[9] However, soon the "Gold Coast" simply became a convenient way to refer to the holiday strip from Southport to Coolangatta.[10][11][12][13][14] As the tourism industry grew into the 1950s, local businesses began to adopt the term in their names, and on 23 October 1958 the Town of South Coast was renamed Town of Gold Coast.[15] The area was proclaimed a city less than one year later.[16]

In 2007, Gold Coast overtook the population of Newcastle, New South Wales to become the sixth largest city in Australia and the largest non-capital city.[17]

The Gold Coast is approximately half covered by forests of various types. This includes small patches of near-pristine ancient rainforest, mangrove-covered islands, and patches of coastal heathlands and farmland with areas of uncleared eucalypt forest. Of the plantation pine forests that were planted in the 1950s and 1960s, when commercial forest planting for tax minimisation was encouraged by the Commonwealth government, tiny remnants remain.[18]

Motorists can reach Gold Coast from Brisbane by Pacific Motorway M1 (blue) and from Sydney and Newcastle by Pacific Highway (Highway 1)

The southernmost town of Gold Coast City, Coolangatta, includes Point Danger and its lighthouse. Coolangatta is a twin city with Tweed Heads located directly across the NSW border. At 28°10′00″S153°33′00″E﻿ / ﻿28.1667°S 153.55°E﻿ / -28.1667; 153.55, this is the most easterly point on the Queensland mainland (Point Lookout on the offshore island of North Stradbroke is slightly further east). From Coolangatta, approximately forty kilometres of holiday resorts and surfing beaches stretch north to the suburb of Main Beach, and then further on Stradbroke Island. The suburbs of Southport and Surfers Paradise form Gold Coast's commercial centre. The major river in the area is the Nerang River. Much of the land between the coastal strip and the hinterland was once wetlands drained by this river, but the swamps have been converted into man-made waterways (over 260 kilometres (160 mi) in length[19] or over 9 times the length of the canals of Venice, Italy) and artificial islands covered in upmarket homes. The heavily developed coastal strip sits on a narrow barrier sandbar between these waterways and the sea.

Waterfront canal living is a feature of Gold Coast. Most canal frontage homes have pontoons. The Gold Coast Seaway, between The Spit and South Stradbroke Island, allows vessels direct access to the Pacific Ocean from The Broadwater and many of the city's canal estates. Breakwaters on either side of the Seaway prevent longshore drift and the bar from silting up. A sand pumping operation on the Spit pipes sand under the Seaway to continue this natural process.

Residential canals were first built in Gold Coast in the 1950s and construction continues. Most canals are extensions to the Nerang River, but there are more to the south along Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek and to the north along the Gold Coast Broadwater, South Stradbroke Island, Coomera River and southern Moreton Bay. Early canals included Florida Gardens, Isle of Capri which were under construction at the time of the 1954 flood. Recently constructed canals include Harbour Quays and Riverlinks completed in 2007. There are over 890 kilometres (550 mi) of constructed residential waterfront land within the city that is home to over 80,000 residents.

Gold Coast has Australia's largest[21] professional surf lifesaving service to protect people on the beaches and to promote surf safety throughout the community. The Queensland Department of Primary Industries carries out the Queensland Shark Control Program (SCP) to protect swimmers from sharks.[22] Sharks are caught by using nets and baited drumlines off the major swimming beaches. Even with the SCP, sharks do range within sight of the patrolled beaches. Lifeguards will clear swimmers from the water if it is considered that there is a safety risk.

Gold Coast beaches have experienced periods of severe beach erosion. In 1967, a series of 11 cyclones removed most of the sand from Gold Coast beaches. The Government of Queensland engaged engineers from Delft University in the Netherlands to advise what to do about the beach erosion. The Delft Report[23] was published in 1971 and outlined a series of works for Gold Coast Beaches including Gold Coast Seaway,[24] works at Narrow Neck that resulted in the Northern Gold Coast Beach Protection Strategy[25] and works at the Tweed River that became the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project.[26]

Gold Coast experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa), with warm winters and hot, humid summers. The city experiences substantial summer precipitation mostly concentrated in thunderstorms and heavy showers with rain events occasionally lasting up to a few weeks at time giving residents "the Summer blues", while winter is pleasant and warm with little rain. In fact, it is this pleasant winter weather that both the city and the Sunshine Coast—the coastal region north of Brisbane— are internationally renowned for. Extreme temperatures recorded have ranged from 2.5 °C (36 °F) on 19 July 2007 to 40.5 °C (105 °F) on 22 February 2005, although the city rarely experiences temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) in summer or below 5 °C (41 °F) in winter.[30]

The Crest of Gold Coast City used on street signs and for official occasions

The city is governed at the local level by the Gold Coast City Council, the second largest local government in the country behind Brisbane City. Its origins lie in two local governments established at the 10 June 1949 elections: Town of the South Coast, which merged the Town of Coolangatta, Town of Southport and part of the Shire of Nerang; and the Shire of Albert, which took in a large surrounding region. On 23 October 1958, South Coast was renamed Gold Coast and on 16 May 1959 it was proclaimed as a City. The modern Gold Coast City was created in 1995 when the existing City and the Shire of Albert merged. In 2008, Gold Coast shrank slightly as part of Queensland government's reorganisation of local government boundaries, losing the Beenleigh and Eagleby areas north of the Albert River to Logan City Council. The Gold Coast City Council has 14 councillors, each representing a division of the City. Businessman Tom Tate was elected Mayor of the Gold Coast in 2012. Former mayors include Ron Clake, Gary Baildon, Lex Bell, Ray Stevens, Ern Harley and Sir Bruce Small, who was responsible for the development of many of the canal estates that are now home to thousands of Gold Coast residents.

Historically, Gold Coast has tilted conservative. It was a Country Party bastion for most of the first three decades after World War II, but increasing urbanisation has made it a Liberal stronghold. Labor has historically only done well around Labrador and Coolangatta. Only one Labor MP has ever represented a significant portion of Gold Coast at the federal level since 1949; the three Gold Coast divisions have only returned Liberals since 1984. At the state level, Labor has been fairly competitive in Gold Coast for most of the early part of the 21st century. However, as part of its massive landslide in the 2012 state election, the Liberal National Party won every seat there.

Southport Courthouse is the city's major courthouse and has jurisdiction to hear petty criminal offences and civil matters up to A$250,000. Indictable offences, criminal sentencing and civil matters above A$250,000 are heard in the higher Supreme Court of Queensland which is located in Brisbane. There are subsidiary Magistrates Courts, also located at the northern and southern suburbs of Beenleigh and Coolangatta.

The Gold Coast region is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia.

In fifty years, Gold Coast City has grown from a small beachside holiday destination to Australia's sixth largest city (and the country's most populous non-capital city). Situated within South East Queensland's growth corridor, the city is now considered Australia's fastest growing large city, with a 5-year annual average population growth rate of 3.4%, compared to 1.2% for Australia.[34] Gross Regional Product has risen from A$9.7 billion in 2001, to A$15.6 billion in 2008, a rise of 61 percent.[35] Tourism remains fundamental to Gold Coast City's economy, with almost 10 million visitors a year to the area.[36] In the past the economy was driven by the population derived industries of construction, tourism and retail. Some diversification has taken place, with the city now having an industrial base formed of marine, education, information communication and technology, food, tourism, creative, environment and sports industries. These nine industries have been identified as the key industries by the Gold Coast City Council to deliver the city's economic prosperity. Gold Coast City's unemployment rate (5.6 per cent) is below the national level (5.9 per cent).[37]

Gold Coast is currently providing a series of programs and services to stimulate the development of businesses in this fast-growing area of Australia. One particular program, Investment Attraction, offers assistance to business developers who are looking to invest in this region or to those who are thinking about starting their own business. The program provides a series of services that are intended to facilitate this process:

Introduction – It is the first step and it is a crucial one. The new business developer is introduced to all the suppliers, supply chain contacts, the local industry networks and the service providers.

A review of site options – The various options one can choose for their site is explored, along with the industrial, commercial or serviced office opportunities that are available.

Business case – An experienced research team will assist a business developer with all the preparation for the business case.

The development of the human resources – Over 300 education and training providers will assist and train the employees to give them the necessary skills and capabilities for your operation.

Continuous support – This program ensures ongoing support once a business has been created and located in the Gold Coast. This type of support includes: access to the Federal and State Governmental programs, assistance with the exporting process, digital enterprise programs, as well as trade at an international level.[38]

There are some criteria listed below which will determine if a potential business might be considered suitable for the project:

The applicant should have a proven track record and be capable of demonstrating their capabilities at completing similar projects. capabilities of accomplishing the proposed activity and track records of the applicants must be proven.

The applicant cannot be a Gold Coast registered business, unless he has the ability to prove that the business he is conducting is implementing a new type of industry that would result in a high economic impact on the area.

The applicant is required to prove there are significant demonstrable economic benefits to the Gold Coast City of his future business.

The proposed business activity must prove it will not be detrimental to existing Gold Coast businesses and is not a replacement for them.

The proposed activity needs to be competitive with other cities or countries.

The activity should not compromise the national or the international obligations for Queensland or Australia.

Should financial assistance not be provided by the City of Gold Coast, the activity of the business that is proposed must be viable from a commercial point of view.

The Gold Coast stretches 57 kilometers north-south and covers 1358 square kilometers. It is home to well over a half million of people. The economy of the city is estimated at about $25.2 billion and even though it was initially based on tourism, it has now evolved to include construction, education, health and many other diverse areas. These days, the new wave of infrastructure in the information technology field, education, health and manufacturing are rewriting the definition of the Gold Coast economy, providing, at the same time, new opportunities in those diverse areas.[39]

Around 10 million tourists visit the Gold Coast area every year: of 849,114 international visitors, 3,468,000 domestic overnight visitors and 5,366,000 daytrip visitors. Tourism is the region's biggest industry,[40] directly contributing more than $4.4 billion into the city economy every year and directly accounting for one in four jobs in the city[41] There are approximately 65,000 beds, 60 kilometres (37 mi) of beach, 600 kilometres (370 mi) of canal, 100,000 hectares of nature reserve, 500 restaurants, 40 golf courses and 5 major theme parks in the city. There have been various prospects and proposals raised for even more theme parks than the current five.

Gold Coast City is the major film production centre in Queensland and has accounted for 75%[42] of all film production in Queensland since the 1990s, with an expenditure of around $150 million per year. Gold Coast is the third largest film production centre in Australia behind Sydney and Melbourne. Warner Brothers has studios located just outside of the city, at Oxenford which have been the filming locations for films such as the Scooby Doo films and House of Wax (2005). Many Bollywood films also use the Gold Coast environs as a filming location, such as Singh Is King. The Gold Coast Hinterland is also used for UK's and Germanys television series "I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!" (German: "Ich bin ein Star - Holt mich hier raus!").

Village Roadshow Studios are adjacent to the Warner Bros Movie World Theme Park at Oxenford. The Studios consists of eight sound stages, production offices, editing rooms, wardrobe, construction workshops, water tanks and commissary. These sound stages vary in size and have an overall floor area of 10,844 sq metres, making Warner Roadshow Studio one of the largest studio lots in the Southern Hemisphere. Recently shot[when?] there is the latest film in the award-winning Narnia series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the largest production ever to be made on the Gold Coast.[citation needed] The Queensland Government actively supports the film and television production industry in Queensland and provides both non-financial and financial assistance through the Pacific Film and Television Commission.[43]

The Gold Coast 600 (formerly known as Lexmark Indy 300) is a car racing event held annually, usually in October. The course runs through the streets of Surfers Paradise and Main Beach. The GC 600 comprises many other events such as the Indy Undie Ball and the Miss Indy Competition. Formerly an Indy car event, V8 Supercars are now the headline attraction, using a similar track route, as the circuit was cut in half by a hairpin. The Magic Millions carnival is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Gerry Harvey (of Harvey Normans) and John Singleton. There are plans to relocate and build a state-of-the-art new racetrack at Palm Meadows which will incorporate the Magic Million sale with facilities for up to 4000 horses.[citation needed]

Each June, Coolangatta hosts the Wintersun Festival renamed as Cooly Rocks On for 2011, a two-week 1950s and 1960s nostalgia festival with free entertainment and attractions, including hot rods, restored cars and revival bands playing music of the era. Every July, more than 25,000 congregate on the Gold Coast from around the world to participate in the Gold Coast Marathon. It is also the largest annual community sporting event held on the Gold Coast. In 2015, it will be held on 4–5 July and the 37th Gold Coast Airport Marathon is set to motivate and challenge more than 25,000 people of all ages and abilities. The Gold Coast Airport Marathon will feature an event for all ages and abilities, including the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Southern Cross University 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) Run, Suncorp Bank 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) Challenge, and Junior Dash over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi).

in August Currumbin hosts the annual half distance Challenge Gold Coast triathlon, with the 1.9 km swim taking place in the Currumbin River, the 90 km bike going through the Currumbin and Tallebudgera Valleys in the Hinterland, and the 21.1 km run going along the beach to Elephant Rock and Tugun.[45]

Late November to early December sees thousands of school leavers across the country descend on the Gold Coast for Schoolies, a two-week period of celebration and parties throughout Surfers Paradise, hosted by the Gold Coast City . The event is often criticised nationally and locally for its portrayal of drinking and acts of violence, however every effort by the Queensland Police Service and State Government to ensure all school leavers have a good time are put into place, including locals volunteering by walking the streets and keeping an eye out for those in need of assistance. Early each year the Gold Coast hosts one leg of the ASP World Tour of surfing, where some of the worlds best surfers compete in the Quiksilver Pro at Coolangatta.

The Arts Centre Gold Coast located in Evandale, features a fine art gallery featuring local and international works from painting to sculpture and new media. In addition, there is a theatre for live productions including musicals as well two arts cinemas showing foreign and independent films from Australia and abroad.

The daily, local newspaper is The Gold Coast Bulletin which is published by News Corporation. Newspapers from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Northern NSW towns such as Tweed Heads and Lismore are also available. National surfing magazine Australia's Surfing Life is published in the Gold Coast suburb of Burleigh Heads, by Morrison Media.

The Gold Coast straddles the boundary between the television licence areas of both Brisbane (metro) and Northern New South Wales (regional). The Brisbane primary channels are Seven, Nine and Ten. The regional affiliates are Prime7 (aligned with Seven), NBN Television (aligned with its owner Nine) and Southern Cross Ten. Both sets of commercial stations are available throughout the Gold Coast, as well as the ABC (ABC1) and SBS (SBS ONE) television services. Digital-only channels available in addition to the ones listed above include One HD, Eleven, ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS Two, 7Two, 7mate, GEM and GO!. SBS ONE simulcasts its programming in high definition on SBS HD. Subscription television services Foxtel (via cable) and Austar (via satellite) are also available.

Tourism is Gold Coast City's main industry, generating a total of $2.5 billion in revenue per annum.[citation needed] Gold Coast is the most popular tourist destination in Queensland.[48] It is Australia's 5th most visited destination in Australia by international tourists.[49]

Since the opening of what was then the world's highest residential tower in 2005 (it is now the fifth highest), the Q1 building has been a destination for tourists and locals alike. It is the second highest public vantage point in the southern hemisphere after the Eureka Tower in Melbourne. The observation deck at level 77 is the highest of its kind in Queensland and offers views in all directions, from Brisbane to Byron Bay. It towers over the Surfers Paradise skyline, with the observation deck 230 metres (755 feet) high, and the spire extending nearly another hundred metres up. In total, the Q1 is 322.5 metres (1058 feet) high. Another famous tourist attraction are the Surfers Paradise Meter Maids, instituted in 1965 to put a positive spin on new parking regulations. To avoid tickets being issued for expired parking, the Meter Maids dispense coins into the meter and leave a calling card under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle. The Maids are still a part of the Surfers Paradise culture but the scheme is now run by private enterprise.

The $1.76 billion, 750-bed facility was constructed on a green field site at Parklands Drive Southport to replace the Gold Coast Hospital at Nerang Street, Southport.

Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) opened to patients at 8 am on Saturday 28 September 2013, receiving the last patient from Gold Coast Hospital just prior to 4.30 pm. A total of 219 patients were transferred from the old Gold Coast Hospital to GCUH over a two day period and the old hospital is now closed.[50]

The Robina Hospital is the second public hospital located on the Gold Coast. The Robina hospital is smaller then the Gold Coast University Hospital but expansions in recent years has seen the hospital get a brand new emergency department an extra 179 beds, making the hospital the sixth largest in Queensland.

The car is the dominant mode of transport in the Gold Coast, with over 70% of people using the car as their sole mode of travelling to work.[54] A number of major roads connect the Gold Coast with Brisbane, New South Wales, and the surrounding areas. The Pacific Motorway (M1) is the main motorway in the area. Beginning at the Logan Motorway (M6) in Brisbane, it travels through the inland Gold Coast region and links with the Pacific Highway at the New South Wales/Queensland border near Tweed Heads. Before the Tugun Bypass was completed in 2008, the motorway ended at Tugun. The Gold Coast Highway services the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast, including Surfers Paradise, Southport, and Burleigh Heads. Starting at the Pacific Motorway at Tweed Heads, it runs parallel to the coast until it reaches Labrador, where it turns inland to meet the Pacific Motorway again at Helensvale. Other arterial roads include the Smith Street Motorway, Reedy Creek Road, Nerang–Broadbeach Road and Bermuda Street.

Public transport modes in the Gold Coast include taxis, buses, ferries, heavy rail, light rail and monorail for commuting to work, visiting attractions, and travelling to other destinations. The two primary pieces of public transport infrastructure on the Gold Coast are a light rail line running along the coast and a heavy rail line running inland and providing a connection to Brisbane.

The Gold Coast's main provider of public bus services is Surfside Buslines.[55] It is a part of the TransLink initiative by the Queensland Government, designed to coordinate the public transport providers in Brisbane and the surrounding areas. The majority of the bus routes that Surfside operates run along the Gold Coast Highway. Services are frequent during the day, with intervals being as little as 5 minutes between Southport and Burleigh Heads.

Gold Coast Airport is located at Coolangatta, approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi) south of Surfers Paradise. Services are provided to interstate capitals and major cities as well as to major New Zealand cities, Malaysia, Japan and Singapore.

Electricity for the Gold Coast is sourced from Powerlink Queensland at bulk supply substations which is provided via the National Electricity Market from an interconnected multi-State power system. The Government-owned electricity corporation Energex distributes and retails electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and value-added products and services to residential, industrial and commercial customers in South-East Queensland.

Water supply The Hinze Dam 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Nerang is the population's main water supply. The Little Nerang Dam which feeds into Hinze Dam can supplement part of the city area's water needs, and both are managed by the city council directorate Gold Coast Water. Reforms of the way in which the water industry is structured have been announced by the State Government, with transfer of ownership and management of water services from local government to the state occurring in 2008–09. Gold Coast City also sources water from Wivenhoe Dam, west of Brisbane for northern suburbs when the Hinze Dam, at one-tenth of Wivenhoe's capacity, becomes low.

Water shortage and water restrictions have been current local issues, and a few new Gold Coast residential areas have recently included dual reticulation in their planning and development to supply water from a new water recycling plant being built concurrently. This will make available highly treated recycled water for use around the home in addition to potable water. The Gold Coast has received world recognition for this scheme in its Pimpama-Coomera suburbs.[56]

Gold Coast Water has also been recognised for its world leading HACCP water quality management system by the World Health Organisation which published Gold Coast Water's system as a good model for managing water quality and safety from catchment to tap.[57] The Gold Coast desalination plant, which opened in February 2009,[58] has the capacity to supply up to 133 megalitres of desalinated water per day.[59]

Burleigh Heads beach in summer, with the Surfers Paradise skyline visible on the horizon.

The Gold Coast has been debating a controversial cruise ship terminal.[60]

Gold Coast Rapid Transit System a light rail rapid transit system running from the currently under construction Gold Coast University Hospital to Southport via Smith, Wardoo, Queen and Nerang Streets and then to Broadbeach along the Gold Coast Highway where the first stage of the project terminates.[61] It is likely that a second stage from the Gold Coast University Hospital to Helensvale station[62] will now be constructed due to the city's successful bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.